Most interesting aspects of Arizona’s 2024-25 women’s hoops schedule

Can you believe it?

The ninth year of the Adia Barnes era at her alma mater begins in only 29 days in an exhibition against West Texas A&M and only 39 days to the season opener Monday, Nov. 4, against UT Arlington at McKale Center.

Arizona’s first experience in the Big 12 is more of a reality with the conference releasing on Thursday the dates and opponents for the Wildcats’ 18-game schedule.

Barnes’ team plays its first Big 12 game on the road against BYU on Dec. 21.

Including the nine home conference games, Arizona will play 17 games at McKale Center during the 2024-25 season.

Season tickets are on sale now and single-game tickets along with mini plans will go on sale Oct. 12.

View Arizona’s website schedule: Printable | Online

Teams will play three opponents home and away while facing six teams only at home and six opponents only on the road for a total of 18 conference games. Opponents were selected based on a combination of geography, historical results and a poll of the coaches to best balance the schedule in terms of travel and competitiveness.

The regular season concludes March 2 and will be followed by the 2025 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center for the second consecutive season.

All dates are subject to change and complete television designations will be released at a later date.

Here are more interesting aspects of Arizona’s schedule:

— No Stanford. No Oregon. No USC. No UCLA. No Oregon State. No Washington. Heck, no Washington State. Seeing an Arizona schedule that does not include members of the former Pac-12 — the best conference in the nation — is a little difficult to digest. Arizona may play California in the Acrisure Classic at Palm Springs on Nov. 27, one day before Thanksgiving. Arizona opens that event against Vanderbilt on Nov. 26 and plays either Cal or Michigan State on Nov. 27 depending on the results.

— Former Arizona forward Koi Love, who played for the Wildcats in 2021-22 before tranferring to USC, will make a return to McKale Center with UT Arlington on Nov. 4. Love is listed as a fifth-year player with the Mavericks. Her college odyssey: Vanderbilt from 2019-21, Arizona 2021-22, USC 2022-24 and now UT Arlington. She did not play a game with the Trojans last season and she has the COVID-19 eligibility season of 2019-20 to bank on.

— A VanDerveer will be coaching against Arizona, only not that VanDerveer. Barnes will match wits against Tara’s sister Heidi, the head coach at UC San Diego when the Wildcats play the Tritons Nov. 10 in San Diego. Heidi VanDerveer is in her 13th season as head coach of the Tritons and is 232-114.

— UNLV, which played Arizona in the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament at McKale Center, returns to Tucson on Nov. 12 with again plenty of local ties. Sahuaro legend Alyssa Brown makes her last appearance as a player in Tucson as a senior forward with the Rebels. Brown holds the single-season scoring record at Sahuaro with 932 points and finished her career (2017-21) with 2,680, second in state history to former Catalina Foothills standout Julie Brase (granddaughter of Lute Olson). In terms of Olson, the family of UNLV coach Lindy La Rocque is close to the Olson family. Olson coached La Rocque’s dad Al at Long Beach City College. Lute Olson was La Rocque’s Godfather. La Rocque attended Olson’s basketball camps at Arizona annually when she was young through her high school years. UNLV assistant Karlie Burris is a former Salpointe standout. Burris and the Lancers during her career (2001-04) with teammates such as Sybil Dosty, Christina Hurtado and Kellie Olson (Lute’s granddaughter), was 113-21. UNLV director of basketball operations Amie Callaway‘s father Reggie resides in Marana. Reggie was an all-city running back at Cholla High School as a senior in the 1981 season who walked on at Arizona when Larry Smith coached the Wildcats.

— Arizona’s trip to Flagstaff to play NAU on Nov. 20 is only the third such trip since 1997. The Lumberjacks have former Catalina Foothills standout Reilly Clark, a sophomore guard who averaged 3.5 points in 14 games last year.

— Grand Canyon and Arizona will play for the first time at McKale Center on Dec. 5. The Antelopes have two former UNLV standouts, including Alyssa Durazo-Frescas, who has family ties in Tucson. Her great grandparents Albert and Bertha “Bodie” Gallego are legendary local historical figures, aunt Norma Gallego is a former Arizona softball player and numerous aunts and cousins live in Tucson. She visits Tucson often. Durazo-Frescas, a senior, headed to Phoenix to play at GCU with former Rebels guard Nneka Obiazor.

— Arizona’s series record with BYU is 6-8. The Wildcats last played BYU in the 2021 NCAA tournament en route to their Final Four appearance, winning 52-46 in the second round game. Former Utah and California standout Kemery Congdon is now with BYU.

— Utah is a Big 12 opponent Arizona plays twice (at McKale Center on New Year’s Eve and at Utah on Jan. 31). Utah has assistant Jeff Judkins, who was BYU’s head coach when the Wildcats beat the Cougars in the 2021 NCAA tournament. He spent 21 years as the head coach at BYU. He is a former WAC rival who played in epic games with the Utes against Arizona when it was coached by Fred Snowden in the 1970s.

— Arizona will play Central Florida for the first time when the Wildcats play their Big 12 game with the Knights in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 4.

— Baylor and Iowa State visit McKale Center in the same week three days apart in what will seem similar to Arizona’s former Pac-12 grind. Baylor, which comes to Tucson on Jan. 8, has former Wildcat center Aaronette Vonleh (who went to Waco, Texas, from Colorado). When Baylor guard Jana Van Gytenbeek was a sophomore in 2021-22 at Stanford, she hit six 3-pointers in a win over the Wildcats at Maples Pavilion. Iowa State comes to town Jan. 11 with popular center Audi Crooks, a freshman first-team All-Big 12 selection last season.  She broke the school record for field goals in a season, posted a single-season freshman record by scoring 512 points. Crooks earned AP All-America honorable mention honors, which also was a first for an Iowa State freshman.

— A trip to the Kansas schools — K-State and Kansas — follows on Jan. 16 and Jan. 19, respectively. Former Arizona center Gisela Sanchez is a junior with K-State. She played in 33 games with six starts with K-State last season. She averaged 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. Kansas went to McKale Center two years ago and routed the Wildcats 77-50.

— Cincinnati (Jan. 22) and West Virginia (Jan. 25) will then visit McKale Center. The West Virginia game carries some significance with Arizona. Former Arizona assistant Erin Grant, who coached under Barnes 2020-22, is on the Mountaineers’ staff. Arizona fifth-year senior Isis Beh is a former West Virginia standout who actually played for the Mountaineers against the Wildcats in the first round of the 2023 NCAA tournament. Arizona assistant Bett Shelby joined Arizona’s staff in 2022 after spending three seasons as the top assistant at West Virginia.

— Arizona plays its lone game against Colorado on Feb. 5. The Buffaloes lost 13 of 17 players from last season’s roster.

— Arizona State plays its first of two games against Arizona on Feb. 8 at McKale Center. Arizona has won its last seven games against the Sun Devils.

— The Wildcats’ only game against Oklahoma State is Feb. 12 at Stillwater, Okla. Another former Arizona player and assistant coach face the Wildcats. Anna Gret Asi, who played in only seven games as a freshman at Arizona in 2021-22, is a junior guard with the Cowgirls. She started all 30 of Oklahoma State’s games and shot 43 percent from the field last season while averaging 12.7 points per game. She also averaged 4.6 assists per game. Oklahoma State assistant Ashley Davis is back with the Cowgirls after serving on Barnes’ staff at Arizona in 2021-22 and 2022-23. She was with Oklahoma State six years prior to coming to Tucson and returned to Stillwater last season.

— TCU plays its only game against Arizona at McKale Center on Feb. 16 and the Wildcats will face yet another familiar person — Horned Frogs senior guard Madison Conner. The former Arizona prep standout played for Arizona from 2021 to 2023 before transferring to TCU ahead of last season. Conner excelled in her firset season at TCU, establishing an NCAA record for most 3-pointers in a 10-game stretch with 52. She is TCU’s single-seaon 3-point record holder with 100 last season. TCU also has former Louisville and LSU All-American guard Hailey Van Lith as a grad transfer. The Horned Frogs also feature former Pac-12 players Taylor Bigby, Sedona Prince and Maddie Scherr of Oregon, Agnes Emma-Nnopu of Stanford and Donovyn Hunter of Oregon State.

— Arizona travels to Houston on Feb. 22 for its only game against the Cougars. Houston features fifth-year senior Peyton McFarland, a former Utah standout. McFarland recorded 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against Arizona during the 2020-21 season for her first collegiate double-double.

— Texas Tech comes to Tucson on Feb. 25 for its only matchup with the Wildcats. It will be a homecoming for former Salpointe, Sunnyside and Southern Arizona Prep Volunteers player Achol Magot. She is a 6-foot-7 sophomore with the Red Raiders who did not play as a freshman last season.

2024-25 ARIZONA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE